Hand drying or cleaning apparatus



June 7, 1949. H. BARNES 2,472,272

l v HAND DRYING 0R CLEANING APPARATUS med oct. 1, 1947 1w v/v role'.-

V HARQLD BHP/ues aww/W6@ Patented June 7, 1949 rr fFsFicE Application October l, 1947, Serial No. 777,347 ln Great Britain November 6, 1946 6 Claims. 1

This-invention relates to hand drying or drying and cleaning apparatus, and it has for its object improved means for obviating the use of towels.

vIt -is an object of this invention to provide a hand drying appliance whose members have a covering of resilient cellular material from which air can be squeezed by pressure to produce a suction action when the pressure is released. Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby pressure can be applied to a hand placed between such cellular material and the pressure released to suck moisture from the hand, the resilient cellular material being such `that it can be squeezed into contact with all parts of the hand. A further object o f the invention is to provide roller means covered with resilient cellular material, such as sponge rubber, between which the hand to be dried is passed, the resilient cellular material accommodating itself by pressure to the contour of the hand as it is rolled thereover and sucking 01T moisture therefrom as the pressure is released. According to the invention the resilient cellular material has annular projections on `the periphery, the annular projections of one roller interleaving with the annular projections of the other roller. The resilient material may be slidably mounted on a centre spindle and means are provided to compress the cellular material endwise on the spindleto squeeze moisture therefrom. A heated member may be arranged adjacent the cellular resilient material, to assist in evaporating moisture therefrom.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a hand drying appliance constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line II-II of Figure' l.

Figure 3 is an end view of a roller, and

Figure 4 is an elevation of a modified form of roller.

According to a convenient embodiment of the invention, the appliance comprises two rollers formed of rotatably mounted spindles I and 2, on each of which is mounted a sleeve 3 of resilient cellular material, such as sponge rubber, which has interconnected cells throughout the body. Any skin on the surface of the sleeve or covering is removed so that the cells communicate with the atmosphere. The thickness of the sponge rubber sleeves 3 is such that the hand can be passed between the roller to compress the sponge rubber between the hand and the spindles I and 2 and as the hand is moved between the rollers, the sleeves have a rolling action over the hand. When the rubber is compressed by tue hand, air is squeezed from the cells in the body of the rubber adjacent the surface in contact with the hand by compressing the walls of the cells together and when the pressure is released, the walls of the cells expand and produce a suction which sucks up any water on the surface of the hand. As the hand travels between the rollers, the sponge rubber is first compressed, and as the surface ofthe rubber rolls away from the hand, the pressure is released and water is sucked from the hand.

In order to dry between the fingers of the hand and also the side of the hand annular projections li are provided on the sleeves A3 and the annular projections on one sleeve interleave with the annular projections on the other sleeve. When the hand is pushed between the rollers, the projections t pass between the ngers and around the sides of the hand and readily adjust themselves under pressure so that the rollers move over every part of the hand. To provide for additional mobili-ty of the resilient cellular material of the sleeves under pressure and so that it will press into any crevices of the hand, notches 5 are formed in the annular projections 4. Figure 4 shows a modied shape of annular projections 6 on the sleeve.

In order to squeeze out from time to time any collection of moisture in the sleeves 3, a pressure plate i is slidably mounted on the spindles I and 2j and by applying pressure to the handle 8, the sleeves are compressed endwise by the pressure plate.

The spindles I and 2 are rotatably mounted, Conveniently, in a frame 9 which can be xed to a wall above a Washbowl and in a positions@ that the hand can be passed downwardly .between the rollers, the rollers being arranged horizontally side by side. A hot water tank I0 may be arranged at theV sides of the rollers to assist in keeping the roller dry, although the rollers can eifectively dry the hand when some moisture is contained in the cells of the sponge rubber, as the suction action remains effective in that the pressure applied by the hand forces the water into the body of the rubber sleeve and away from the effective suction area.

With the shape of roller shown by Figure 4, the radiators IIJ may be corrugated on the inner faces to project into the annular V-grooves 6a and the corrugations on the radiator tanks may rub against the sleeves to effect a cleaning action as they are rotated by the passage of the hand between the rollers.

The thickness of the `body of the sleeves 3 is such that the material can be distorted to permit of the passage of the hand therebetween; the spindles may also be spring pressed together to give ilexibility for receiving the thickest part of the hand. Each sleeve may be formed as a single body or may be built up of a number of discs arranged side by side on the spindles. The sleeves may be rotated against a scraper or cleaner so that it will have a self cleaning action.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A hand drying appliance comprising a pair of rollers covered with resilient cellular material, from which air can be squeezed by pressure to produce a suction action when the pressure is released, said resilient cellular material conforming itself upon pressure to the contour of the hand as saine is rolled thereover and sucking off moisture therefrom as the pressure is released, said resilient cellular material having annular projections on the periphery, the annular projections of one roller interleaving with the annular projections of the other roller, a spindle for each roller on which said resilient cellular material is slidably mounted, and means actuatable to compress the cellular material endwise and along said spindles to squeeze moisture therefrom.

2. A hand drying appliance comprising a pair of rollers covered with resilient cellular material, from which air can be squeezed by pressure to produce a suction action when the pressure is released, said resilient cellular material conforming itself upon pressure to the contour of the hand as same is rolled thereover and sucking oi moisture therefrom as the pressure is released, said resilient cellular material having annular projections on the periphery, the annular projections of one roller interleaving with the annular projections of the other roller, and tooth-like projections on the periphery of said annular projections.

3. A hand drying appliance comprising a pair of rollers covered with sponge rubber material, from which air is to be squeezed by pressure to produce a suction action when the pressure is released between which the hand to be dried is passed, said sponge rubber material conforming itself by pressure to the contour of the hand as same is rolled thereover and sucking off moisture therefrom as the pressure is released, and heated means arranged adjacent and conformed to said sponge rubber material to assist in evaporating moisture therefrom.

4. A hand drying appliance comprising a pair of rollers covered with resilient cellular material, said material being shaped to squeeze air theretween the ngers of a hand.

from upon application of pressure to thereby produce a suction action upon release of the pressure, said resilient cellular material conforming itself by pressure to the contour of the hand as saine is rolled relatively thereto and sucking or moisture therefrom as the pressure is released, annular projections on the periphery of said resilient cellular material and arranged so that the annular projections of one roller interleave with the annular projections of the other roller, a support passing through the centre of each roller on which said resilient cellular material is slidably mounted, and means for compressing said cellular material endwise of said supports to thereby squeeze moisture from said material.

5. A hand drying appliance comprising a pair of rollers covered with resilient cellular material, from which air can be squeezed by pressure to thereby produce upon release of said pressure a suction action and between which a hand to be dried is passed, said resilient cellular material conforming to the contour of the hand when applied thereto and sucking off moisture therefrom upon said release of pressure, annular projections on the periphery of said resilient cellular material, said annular projections of one roller interleaving with the annular projections of the other roller, and tooth-shaped projections on the periphery of said annular projections.

6. A hand drying appliance comprising a pair of rollers having a centre core of hard material, a plurality of discs of resilient cellular material arranged on said centre core to thereby form a covering from which air can be squeezed by application of pressure to thereby produce a suction action upon release of the pressure, said discs having a portion of the periphery cut away so that the cells in the cellular material are open at the periphery, said discs being shaped so as to have some parts of the covering formed by the discs at a greater distance from the centre of said rollers than other parts to wipe therebe- 'HAROLD BARNES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 82,259 Webb Sept. 15, 1868 1,753,201 Edlich Apr. 8, 1930 1,927,955 Schuster Sept. 26, 1933 2,154,585 Samandji Apr. 18, 1939 2,195,371 Moore Mar. 26, 1940 2,241,448 Elbourn May 13, 1941 

